Manchester United’s pursuit of one of the best young defenders in Europe this summer has encountered a major hurdle.

The Red Devils have been chasing a deal for PSG’s Marquinhos throughout the season and look set to complete a deal for him early this summer. But that move has now been thrown into doubt after Barcelona contacted PSG about the possibility of signing the defender.

The Catalans are set to name a new coach by Monday but have opened up negotiations as they know that their defence was a major problem for them last season.

Argentine International, Javier Mascherano has had seven solid years of service at Barcelona, but a combination of injuries and poor form saw him make a very limited impact for the Catalans this season, and they are ready to let him go. Barcelona believes Marquinhos is the perfect player to replace Mascherano.

This has opened up a two-way war for the player’s signature which would potentially drive his value up. United would not have any problem meeting the required sum for the player’s signature, but the player might not want to turn down the chance to play with the likes of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez.